Frequently in my work as a systems engineer I’m faced with producing several artifacts for a project, typically a system architecture, model(s), requirements, safety analysis and risk analysis (management plan).
With the recent go-live of the ACA (Obamacare) website we saw another example of a complex project introduction go badly. There are a host of reasons for the problems, requirements changing, insufficient testing, and no one person leading the effort. And just the scope of a project required to meet the needs of millions. One has to wonder if a risk management plan was done for this project and followed through the design process. On a side note, where I live the Washington State website actually met customer needs and was easy to navigate. So scope does have an impact. Continue reading
After writing several articles about topics related to medical devices and big data, thought I’d explore a new area, risk and space tourism.
Though I will include one interesting note about medical devices, on the October 20th episode of 60 Minutes former VP Dick Cheney admitted that he had the external programming capability for his defibrillator turned off to prevent it from being hacked. So, even as people question the possibility of this occurring we have a real world example of the steps taken to prevent this from happening. Think risk mitigation. Continue reading
I usually write about risk as related to projects, but several of the comments I received on my article on “Can Your Pacemaker be Hacked” made me realize that we are all faced with risk management in our personal lives.
Continuing on the medical topic, think about how many options you’re faced with when your doctor recommends a procedure, whether adding a pacemaker, replacing a joint or a prescription drug. Continue reading
Hack a pacemaker? Is this a real problem?
Some recent experiments have been able to hack a pacemaker and other medical devices including an insulin pump. The weakness of these systems was the analog sensors attached to the body to gather information. These analog inputs bypass the internal security and are converted directly to digital signals. Continue reading